Uranium found in package at London's Heathrow Airport last month
A small amount of Uranium was found in a package at London's Heathrow Airport last month, British police have said.
But officials have also stressed that the material, which was discovered by routine scanning, poses no direct threat to the public, Reuters notes.
"We were relieved to understand there was no threat to public health or public safety," said Richard Smith of the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command. "The consignment that had been identified included a very small amount of contaminated material. We are now conducting further inquiries."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The takeaway should be that airport screening functioned as intended, Smith added.
Per The Guardian, the uranium was found in a "package of scrap metal" originally from Pakistan and headed for an Iranian business in the U.K. Uranium is often used to manufacture nuclear weapons, as well as "dirty bombs," or "munitions with a radioactive element," the Guardian continues.
"For uranium to turn up on a commercial airliner from Pakistan to an Iranian address in the U.K. is very suspect," Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, ex-commander of the U.K.'s nuclear defense regiment told The Sun, which first reported the news.
That said, police do not believe the discovery is linked to any sort of active plot. No arrests have been made but officials "will continue to follow up on all available lines of inquiry to ensure this is definitely the case," Smith said.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
-
Today's political cartoons - November 16, 2024
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - tears of the trade, monkeyshines, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 wild card cartoons about Trump's cabinet picks
Cartoons Artists take on square pegs, very fine people, and more
By The Week US Published
-
How will Elon Musk's alliance with Donald Trump pan out?
The Explainer The billionaire's alliance with Donald Trump is causing concern across liberal America
By The Week UK Published
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditions
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billion
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on record
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homes
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creature
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published